Classic California park bike trail adds new section to Bay Area route

Cyclists are cheering as they can finally bike through the white-knuckle road segment through Mt. Tamalpais State Park in Marin County.

The Easy Grade Trail, a 0.6 mile section, is now part of the Ridge Trail network, creating a safer trail experience through the scenic landscapes of Mt. Tam, as it’s known to locals.

For over 20 years, mountain bicyclists riding the Ridge Trail through Mt. Tam had to detour onto Pantoll Road — a narrow, winding road with tight shoulders and vehicle traffic.

Now, they can bypass the vehicle traffic and stay safely off-road.

“This 0.6 mile section is now part of the Ridge Trail network, closing a RT gap for cyclists and creating a safer trail experience through Mt. Tam State Park and beyond,” the Bay Area Trail Ridge posted on Instagram.

The trail has been a major part of the Marin County Bicycle Coalition’s 3 Gaps Initiative that aims to seamlessly link the Mountain Theater to the Pantoll Ranger Station. But the vision doesn’t stop at the mountain peak.

Despite its short distance, the new stretch is a vital link in the ambitious Bay Area Ridge Trail project — a grand plan for a 550-mile multiuse trail along the high ridges surrounding the San Francisco Bay.

Even in its unfinished state, the Ridge Trail is already legendary as the National Geographic recently crowned it one of its “100 Hikes of a Lifetime.”

“The new trail provides a safer, car-free alternative to Pantoll Road and improves access between the Mountain Theater and Pantoll Ranger Station,” the Marine County Bicycle Coalition had said during the unvealing of the bike trail.

The massive trail circuit is now roughly 70% complete, with 400 of its 550 planned miles currently usable. Momentum is building fast, following a recent 14.1-mile expansion at Rancho Cañada del Oro and Calero County Park.

Once fully completed, the loop will encircle all nine Bay Area counties, connecting over 75 parks, open space preserves, and public lands.

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